8 August 1969: The Abbey Road cover photography session | The Beatles Bible The Abbey Road cover photography session The Abbey Road cover photography session Friday 8 August 1969 Photography 51 Comments All four Beatles gathered at EMI Studios on the morning of Friday 8 August 1969 for one of the most famous photo shoots of their career. Photographer Iain Macmillan took the famous image that adorned their last-recorded album, Abbey Road . Here is a photograph taken on the same day, showing the empty crossing. Iain Macmillan was a freelance photographer and a friend to John Lennon and Yoko Ono . He used a Hasselblad camera with a 50mm wide-angle lens, aperture f22, at 1/500 seconds. Prior to the shoot, Paul McCartney had sketched his ideas for the cover, to which Macmillan added a more detailed illustration. As the group waited outside the studio for the shoot to begin, Linda McCartney took a number of extra photographs.

A policeman held up the traffic as Macmillan, from a stepladder positioned in the middle of the road, took six shots as the group walked across the zebra crossing just outside the studio. The Beatles crossed the road a number of times while Macmillan photographed them. 8 August was a hot day in north London, and for four of the six photographs McCartney walked barefoot; for the other two he wore sandals. Shortly after the shoot, McCartney studied the transparencies and chose the fifth one for the album cover. It was the only one when all four Beatles were walking in time. It also satisfied The Beatles' desire for the world to see them walking away from the studios they had spent so much of the last seven years inside. Macmillan also took a photograph of a nearby tiled street sign for the back cover. The sign has since been replaced, but was situated at the corner of Abbey Road and Alexandra Road. The junction no longer exists; the road was later replaced by the Abbey Road housing estate, between Boundary Road and Belsize Road. Latest Comments shivabeach Wednesday 15 February 2012 The vast number of stories about that shoot are funny to think of now.

Paul was dead because he wasn’t wearing shoes, I buried Paul on the album, innumerable facts about the cars etc and none of it is true. The shoot was just taken, nothing set up Bless the Beatles forever BID316 Wednesday 8 August 2012 Well, of course the photo was “set-up.” The Beatles used “deceit” as a means of drawing publicity. All of the “Paul is dead” clues were “a coincidence (according to The Beatles).” Do you believe that (maybe) the four most famous guys in the world couldn’t find four red carnations during the filming of Magical Mystery Tour and Paul just “happened” to wear the only black carnation? According to The Beatles, that’s what happened. We’re still talking (writing) about it 45 years later!! Reply iselliot Sunday 12 August 2012 They probably gave Paul the black carnation in MMT because at that point they WISHED he was dead. The Beatles had much better (and worse) things to deal with in this period than to try to perpetuate an absurd fan rumor.

Reply iselliot Sunday 12 August 2012 I think what people forget is the Beatles more than anyone understood the value/ non-value of “meaning”. John’s writing in 67 was absurdist and confounding because he understood that no matter what he said it would be parsed for deeper meaning. So the Beatles became masters of the random- i.e. Strawberry Fields and Walrus. They did whatever they did and let other people make stuff up because that was what they were going to do anyway. And we’re still doing it. But of course it’s all a moot point because they never really existed. Laura Nelson Saturday 27 June 2015 Huh????? It’s all fun, Let It Be. embrasure Wednesday 28 November 2012 And John was the black wizard in MMT! The other three being in red Pintpot Thursday 29 September 2016 Yes, I’m going to start a rumour that John is dead George Edwards Sunday 13 March 2016 Everything is a cosmic set up. Didn’t you learn that from the 60’s “experience”?

Reply islander5160 Wednesday 15 February 2012 The fact that Paul wore sandals in two of the shots proves there was no intent to give a clue about his “death”. It was just another photo shoot, as shivabeach also observed. What’s really cool is that these are pics of the Beatles that even I have never seen; and I thought I’d seen them all! Kevin Friday 6 April 2012 is it a coincidence that there is a VW beetle parked on the side of the road? Reply John Sunday 15 April 2012 The VW Beetle belonged to one of the people living in the block of flats across from the recording studio. They tried to have it moved but the owner was on holiday so they just left it there. After the album was released, the number plate (LMW 281F) was stolen repeatedly from the car. In 1986, the car was sold at auction for £2,530 and in 2001 was on display in a museum in Germany Reply Daniel Tuesday 15 May 2012 I don’t see the VW in the morning photo.

So, if the car’s owner was on a “holiday”, why wasn’t the VW parked there?. Was the “beetle” parked later to be with the “beatles” in the mid-morning shoot? (see the shadows). Deano Tuesday 29 May 2012 picture was taken from the other direction as if you look closely it’s different Reply Iain Tuesday 26 June 2012 Daniel is right! The picture is the same shot without the Beatles in. It isn’t taken from the other side. You can see the white pillars on the left in both shots. You can see the horizontal line in the tarmac behind Ringo’s head in both and the big branch high in the middle of the picture is in both. Reply John Sunday 22 July 2012 If the photo without the VW had been taken from the other direction it would have been totally different. Right behind the camera on the cover photo is the corner of Grove End Road. This junction would have taken up most of the shot if the photo had been taken from the other direction Reply Dan Wednesday 5 September 2012 Funny about the guy’s license plate being continuously stolen.

In the US, he’d get a new plate with a different plate number. In New York someone has a personalized plate# ‘LMW281F’. It must belong to a Beatle fan willing to spend about $50/year (£32/year) extra for the plates. Reply darrenholmesphotography Thursday 16 May 2013 Actually no, it’s the same spot. Facing the other way would reveal a very obvious island and sculpture in the road. The VW was parked there after the first shot. Reply jm Thursday 12 July 2012 No one ever mentions that Paul had just turned 27 – i guess he was in his 28th year of life?? Reply ak Wednesday 8 August 2012 One of the “clues” that Paul was dead was the plate, 28IF — he’d be 28 if he lived. Also, his eyes are closed, he’s out of step with the others, he’s smoking and he’s barefoot (as are bodies when buried). The others are dressed – John in white as a preacher, George in jeans like a gravedigger, Ringo in black like a pallbearer.

Reply Jim Sunday 29 April 2012 plz. paul is out of step. cig in right hand. a well planned out picture. RIP Paul Cole in right side. Lennon represented God,Ringo the preacher,Paul the body & George the grave gigger. Reply iselliot Wednesday 8 August 2012 please, with your absurd PID bullsh*t. would you say the other five shots are “well planned out”? clearly it was all very random and only one shot was usable. i can’t believe people are still on about that nonsense. it’s embarrassing. and John was killed by the CIA, right? amazing. John Thursday 9 August 2012 No. John was the Minister, Ringo, the Undertaker, Paul, the “Corpse” and George, the Gravedigger… Someone above mentioned”I buried Paul” being on Abbey Road,” but that was at the end of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” 2 years earlier. I think The Bealtles played up the “Paul is Dead” hoax, and palnted “clues… They were “Merry Pranksters,” ya know!

🙂 Reply Anna Sunday 19 August 2012 I agree, John. I think they knew they weren’t going to stop the rumours from spreading, so they planted more ‘clues’. But I don’t think all these clues were intended – some, but not all. Joel Friday 15 June 2012 I wonder where that original street sign is now and how much it would be worth. Guybrush Threepwood (@Threepwood53) Monday 11 February 2013 Four of the original tiles came up for sale on the Channel4 programme Four Rooms 1n 2012 They went for £7,000. They were the A a B the E and the Y. Andrew Lamberty bought them and he hopes to flog them for up to £16,000 each on ebay. Tidy profit. Reply charlie Friday 22 June 2012 my uncle still owns the 32 ford with all the beatles in the car in NYC its on the inside cover , was shot in manhatten . how cool is that ?

Reply Joe Friday 22 June 2012 I’ve no idea which photograph you’re referring to. There was no gatefold cover or inner sleeve artwork for Abbey Road. iselliot Sunday 12 August 2012 that would be cool i suppose if there were such a thing. what is he talking about? Reply Scott Olsen Sunday 23 June 2013 Photo was taken on August 8, 1969 apx 11:30 am; on or about the exact date and time of the 1st Manson Family murders. Creepy… John Wade Friday 17 April 2015 If it’s 11:30…that’s three hours after the Manson murders still close enough for jazz… Reply Michael Campbell Monday 4 January 2016 Sorry to be picky, but the Tate murders happened just after midnight on the 9th August 1969. Given that LA is 8 hours behind GMT, that would put the murders at around 08.15am on the 9th August British time. Roughly 21 hours AFTER the photoshoot. Still within the same 24 hour timeframe though.

Some reports state that the FIRST killing that evening was just before midnight of 18 year-old Steven Parent who was visiting a friend who lived in the gatehouse behind the main building. Reply Mike Bulley Wednesday 21 August 2013 Can anyone identify the lady in the purple stripped coat talking to Ringo and then seen with another few people as they prepared to cross the road. Was she part of the photographic team (wardrobe lady?) or just a bystander. Only curious. Thanks Reply Melissa Thomas Sunday 26 October 2014 She lives in the house they are standing in front of. I visited this crosswalk with my family and was admiring all of the graffiti on the wall written to the Beatles. My dad wanted to write something and my mom told him no, but then he kept bugging he for a pen. I didn’t write anything but somehow ended up with the pen. She came out of her house and of a fairly large crowd, picked me out, and shoved me! She sad, “How dare you write on my wall! Haven’t you any respect?” I was so stunned I didn’t have anything to say. My mom and dad just stared in disbelief and had nothing to say, either.

She the stormed past me on her merry way. I have a feeling she gets up and does that at least once a day, haha. Reply Thord Holmqvist Saturday 8 August 2015 In Linda McCartney’s photo, the lady in the purple stripped coat talking to Ringo was a neighbour of the studios. josh adams Thursday 14 November 2013 What was paul holding in his right hand was it a cig or a coffin nail. Daniel LESUEUR Friday 6 December 2013 and what was the name of the man looking at them ? I saw a paper about him about one or two years ago. in 1969 he didn’t knew the Beatles and was just wondering why four crazy guys were crossing the street several times ! Joe Friday 6 December 2013 His name was Paul Cole. He died in 2008.

Reply jeff Friday 28 March 2014 yeah isnt it strange that there were 2 pauls on the cover,and a 5th BEATLE such as Billy Preston,i mean WILLIAM PRESTON,LIKE WILLIAM CAMPBELL,,,HMMM,,,, Reply Tiffany Tuesday 27 May 2014 When I see this picture I always think about how on this same day and year in America Sharon Tate was being murdered by some crazies who read too much into the Beatles’ songs… Reply Michael gregory Saturday 7 June 2014 If you look at the live cams of the abbey road crossing at any time of the day you will see people trying to relive that photo,very funny. rainyday56 Saturday 21 June 2014 Paul was out of step because he is a south paw and started on the other foot. Reply Michael Ciardi Friday 8 August 2014 Interestingly, on the same day that this photograph was taken…August 8, 1969, Charles Manson and his family were about to slaughter Sharon Tate and her house guests in Southern California. Why is this important?

Manson’s whole premise Helter Skelter was based off the Beatles recordings, particularly the White Album. Manson was obsessed with the Beatles music. His motives for ordering the killing of the residents at Celio Drive was most likely based on a vendetta he had against Terri Melcher, who produced the Beach Boys music. Melcher reneged on a promise to give Manson a recording contract about a year earlier. Melcher rented the house on Celio Drive, a place Manson was familiar with, but unbeknownst to Manson, Melcher moved out, and Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski became the new occupants. When Manson ordered the girls and Tex Watson to kill everyone at that address on August 8th 1969, it was not a random choice. It was what Manson wanted, revenge pure and simple. Kyösti Tirkkonen Thursday 25 September 2014 I wonder, whose car was that white Volkswagen Beetle, anyone?

Reply Neil Wednesday 15 October 2014 The Beetle was my fathers Car His name is Malcolm Tanner, He used to live in the flats opposite the studio, (he actually still has a spare set of keys for the car) His number plate was stolen numerous times after the release of the album..As far as any hidden messages in the number plate I’m afraid its obviously a coincidence..Wish he’d held on to the thing it must be worth a fortune now.. Reply terry Saturday 25 October 2014 neil was your father on holiday as someone stated earlier on the blog? The car didnt seem to be parked there in the morning shots so did he come home and park there and did he see the shoot? Reply mikie Monday 1 December 2014 The cars were parked on the curb to make the street look less crowded. Two mocked license plated are visible and do have meaning.

Reply Pallav Friday 30 October 2015 The “Paul is Dead” rumor/conspiracy was perpetuated by some American college students..as it’s often the case with so many other conspiracies and urban legends – big foot, Sasquatch, chupacabra, alien abduction..ah, being an American is such an intellectual burden..so many things happen only to them..and it therefore took an American by the name of Mark David Chapman to bring down the lion-head of The Beatles, the one guy who consistently wrote such meaningful stuff as A Day in the Life.. alan watt Wednesday 4 November 2015 That guy on the right,Paul Cole…looks very much like Buddy Holly…erie huh? Beatle "Ed" Saturday 12 December 2015 I have spent the morning googling headings for the front cover of The Beatles “Abbey Road”. You are in safe hands, here. The Beatles Bible, thank you.

For the last year, my son’s lasting legacy before leaving for College was to pin up an enormous giant color poster of the iconic abbey Road album, it help inject new life in the room I grew up in during the sixties, and in turn help house and raise our firstborn. The house that I inherited and grew up in is a small rambler, my father was an architect and engineer and responded to my sister’s request to buy and play albums by The Beatles, starting with their first two albums shortly after the Ed Sullivan Show, Winter ’64. All the children on the block came to dance and listen to them, at what may have been a burden for my sister, garnering attention the wrong way this was my territory. It really was something to see, the way that my parents let down their hair over the years, buying all The Beatles’ albums as they were released each succeeding year up to the white album.

And so, it really is a dreadful miscarriage that there was something about the Beatles double album that stopped my parents from purchasing their albums after 1968,, I knew most of the songs from The Beatles Abbey Road off my transistor radio but it wasn’t up until the late 70’s when I was 18 and had moved out, starving at my first rental flat that I finally got to hear how Abbey Road was meant to be heard, perfect really to experience it for the first time trying to make sense of the world as a young man starting out fresh. Lord knows, when I inherited my parent’s house. I worked hard to collect all of The Beatles albums for our kids, I would have never predicted the direction how music would be traded a short few years after that, I am pleased to say our kids children went through a rite of passage listening to all The Beatles licensed CD’s or watching Yellow Submarine, for the first time, it really clicked for them when they understood where I got silly cryptic references or remarks like, “It’s no longer a blue world”! Or, “Where do we go from here, Argentina”?

So… yes, Abbey Road really fills in the gap for our family, to be young, vital and overall feeling that you are invincible as each succeeding generation ought to if they care and want to make a difference. It is with some relief that I am able to finally organize my thoughts exactly what I am looking at. 1). The photographer attests, The Beatles were walking from left to right. 2). The left side of the lens is Abbey Road, the right side opens up to a garden fence with long chairs next to the street for weary pedestrians. 3).Paul McCartney had some thumbnail sketches that he had drawn up to convey what he was looking for, the fifth photo of the shoot, captures the spirit what he wanted perfectly. 4). All their legs are in a V-shape formation, demonstrating their ability to be in synch of one another, important for a band. 5). It is totally appropriate to assume by being a, “lefty” that McCartney would have a little different swagger, walking and holding his cigarette, all beautiful in The Beatle cannon. 6). All of THe Beatles look beautiful.

Three of the members wore suits by the same designer, putting to rest in my mind, that they could go shopping whenever they liked, the new young millionaire that had outfits made for them. 7). Beatle George and the new up and coming blue collar look at the cusp of an exciting new decade where The Beatles promoted the working class hero, right on time and right on the money. 8).The photographer only having ten minutes to clip off some shots, remembers having to carry a ladder to position and use in the middle of the street, and that they hired a policeman to direct traffic, another Beatle moment, who’s job was to pick up the phone and enlist aid. 9). Ftting, that the photographer was able to attest, the real symbolism behind the photograph tbesides being in synch, they are walking away from the studio and their private sweat shop way of life,for those of us that never made the sojourn, who would’ve ever guessed across the crosswalk opens up to a lawn to catch the sun and lawn chairs for reprise. 10) A picnic in the middle of the freeway, really. 11).

By knowing that they are walking left to right, on Beatle John’s side of the street traffic is approaching, and exiting on the left, no symbolism necessary besides to know the negative hasn’t been flipped flopped. 12). The Apple licensed product that I recently bought at a giant retail chain has The Beatles walking the opposite direction, right to left, Beatle John leading the way back to the EMI salt mines, symbolic perhaps Apple feels their work was meant to carry on, how could licensed Apple product have The Beatles going in the other direction, intentional or an oversight, really… Apple? 13). There is a picture of The Beatles’ contract that clearly shows their contract was picked up and not intended to be up for review until 1975, instilling into my heart and lifeblood, Abbey Road was the new direction where to go. 14). By knowing the proper direction, lamp post are across the street opposite from EMI, their color tone borders on white, and serve to to repel the harsh properties of the sun, black street post are on the other side, and there is an iconic red mail box beyond the V.W. 15).

By all purposes the direction of the street heading toward the general vicinity of Abbey Gardens, the park that the street may have been named after, most palatial and upscale, some history there, who were the original settlers before the advent of a state of art recording studio, a place for people in the neighborhood to gather, no doubt. 16) Abbey Road helps to put The Beatles on the map. 17). Linda, Paul’s wife was present her photos attest there are all kinds of people within range of a Beatle sighting, 18). Our dear Miss Linda is wearing a black sleeveless one piece dress with lace for a collar, very British and important to discover in my book. 19). An incidental shot of he “little old lady” in a very mod housecoat and dress print talking to the band in front of her house and the website where a fan says many years after the shoot, the little old lady picked her out among a group of tourist to accost because the young lady happened to have a pen in her hand, her parent’s pen, I think that must be true. 20).

In the original photo the “little old lady” looks very advanced for her age, but is probably only around her fifties, life was much harder and rougher after the war, I do believe as she progressed it must have taken all morning just to step out and accost the fans for writing graffiti on her bulkhead. 21). The American tourist to the right of Beatle John in a smart dress suit thatt lies to rest that he nay have been an EMI executive, which the media was able to locate many years later and get his testament is a bit of a creep to miss going into the local museum with his wife in order to take in some sights and sounds off the street, it’s a character right out of an unwritten Beatle tune. 22). How much did the tourist doctor his account by stating years later that he discovered himself in the picture when his wife was back home learning to play one of their songs on ther electric organ, another account to chalk up to, “Something”. 23). There is a picture of Linda on the corner of EMI where there is another older lady in a one piece dark dress that looks remarkably like George Martin’s wife, what are the odds. 24).

Photographs for the album were taken with the Beatles walking in both directions, coming towards and walking away from Abbey Road studio, I obsess over who are the three people in the main photo just beyond the V.W. There are appears to be a blond lady and a large rugged man leaning over to her side, and a professional looking man next to the giant. 25). Outtakes where the band is walking the other direction to EMI show the rugged man is larger than the other man, and the lady is absent, where did she go in the length of the ten minute shoot, could The Beatles not occupy her time and attention for the length of ten minutes, is she one of them, her outfit may be a blouse and flair pants but the way that the light and distance blends she looks a lot like she is wearing overalls, the rugged man looks a lot like Tom Jones, although I think he is shorter. 26). There are pictures of very smart looking people to the side of the V.W. one lady, a brunette has a one piece black dress, very interesting that color would be popular at the height of summer. 27).

When blown up to the size of our giant poster on the wall the speckled pavement indeed appears to crackling and sizzling in the summer sun, multi-colored jewels to my reckoning, and the first modern roads for horseless carriage. 28). The outtake of the duffel bag in front of Beatle John as the group lounges and smoke on the EMI steps, priceless outtakes for certain, their clothes limp from the heat, they sweat and breathe like you and i, oh, my. 29). Nice to have one picture where all the elements come together, no pun intended, but that is how it goes when you have a broad vision to attempt to try and record and preserve some of the magic in the air, floating freely when we were all still in our young bodies. No last hurrah for me, although time is precious and friends matter, The Beatles legacy is only just beginning. Make all the seasons of your life a summer of love~ Robby Stoneman Aug. 8, 1969: Beatles shoot iconic Abbey Road photo Aug. 8, 1969: Beatles shoot iconic Abbey Road photo Teresa Mathew Pin it Share On this day—Aug.

8, 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan took the photograph in London that would become the iconic cover of the Beatles album Abbey Road. The image, of the four Beatles walking across a zebra crossing, was based on sketches done by Paul McCartney. It was taken at 11:30 .a.m outside the EMI studios on Abbey Road, and Macmillan had only 10 minutes to take the photo while a policeman held up traffic. In addition to the Beatles themselves, the cover also features an American tourist who was passing by unaware at the time the photo was taken. He did not realize that he was featured in the cover until he saw it months later. The Abbey Road album cover went on to become one of the most recognized and famous in history. The crossing itself has become an iconic site for Beatles fans, and in 2010 it was given grade II listed status for its "cultural and historical importance.” Abbey Road was the last album the Beatles recorded, as well as their best-selling album.

Reblog Rare Beatles Abbey Road photos revealed - Amateur Photographer Amateur Photographer 0shares 0shares A complete set of six photographs showing The Beatles crossing the famous zebra-crossing outside Abbey Road Studios in London has been unveiled for an auction next month. Picture credit: © Bloomsbury Auctions Captured by Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan on 8 August 1969, the images appeared on The Beatles’ Abbey Road album. The fifth of the six shots was chosen by Sir Paul McCartney for the album cover. Also on sale at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions on 21 November will be Macmillan’s shot of the Abbey Road street sign that featured on the back cover. It is believed to be the first time that a complete set of the signed and numbered photos has appeared at public auction, say auctioneers. The set is expected to fetch £50,000-£70,000. Macmillan, who died in 2006, climbed a ladder in the middle of the north-west London street for his assignment. In 1989, he is quoted as saying: ‘That photo’s been called an icon of the ‘60s.

‘I suppose it is. I think the reason it became so popular is its simplicity. It’s a very simple, stylised shot.’ The photographer, who used a Hasselblad camera, added: ‘Also, it’s a shot people can relate to. ‘It’s a place where people can still walk.’ The shot chosen for the album cover (above) All picture credits: © Bloomsbury Auctions Photo of The Beatles walking back across Abbey Road to be auctioned - Telegraph Music news Photo of The Beatles walking back across Abbey Road to be auctioned A rare photograph taken during the shoot for the Abbey Road cover shows the Beatles walking back across the road, from right to left. Image 1 of 2 The Beatles walking the opposite way over the Abbey Road zebra-crossing with Paul McCartney wearing a pair of leather flip-flops Photo: BNPS Image 1 of 2 The album cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road (left) and the photograph that is expected to sell for thousands of pounds Photo: BNPS Follow The photograph of The Beatles walking across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road, London is one of music’s most famous and enduring images.

Now a rare photograph of the band walking the other way is due to come up for auction next week. In 1969, on a hot August day, photographer Iain Macmillan stood on a ladder in the middle of the road to replicate a sketch drawn by Paul McCartney depicting what he wanted the Abbey Road album cover to look like. The shoot took only 10 minutes, with a police officer holding up the traffic. In 2011 the album became the top-selling vinyl record for the third consecutive year – 43 years after it was released. The photograph coming up for sale at Bloomsbury Auctions is one of only six shots taken that day and shows them walking back across the road, from right to left. Only 25 prints of it were made. Even more excitingly for Beatles fans, McCartney is wearing sandals in the picture. In the famous version of the photograph, McCartney is seen in bare feet and out of step with the rest of the band. This has prompted a series of bizarre conspiracy theories among some enthusiasts who believe that McCartney actually died in the Sixties and has been replaced by a body double.

They see the album cover as filled with hidden clues – with McCartney’s bare feet representing his difference from the rest of the band. Related Articles BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Revisiting Abbey Road 40 years on Revisiting Abbey Road 40 years on By Lawrence Pollard Advertisement A day in the life of Abbey Road Forty years ago on Saturday, one of the pop world's most famous and imitated album covers was shot in an ordinary-looking street in north London. The idea for the cover of the Beatles' Abbey Road album was initially to call it Everest, after the favourite brand of cigarettes smoked by their engineer Geoff Emerik. Then the thought of doing a Himalayan cover helped kill the idea, and instead they considered doing the shoot closer to home. "There's a sketch Paul McCartney did with four little stick men crossing the zebra," says Brian Southall, author of the history of Abbey Road Studios. "It gave a pretty good idea of what they wanted." On 8 August 1969 the Fab Four walked out of No 3 Abbey Road, having finished basic work on what would be their penultimate album.

A policeman held up the traffic, the band walked back and forth a few times and that was that Brian Southall The photographer who took the famous cover shot was the late Iain Macmillan, a close friend of Brian Southall's, who knew the Beatles through working with Yoko Ono. "He was given about 15 minutes," says Mr Southall. "He stood up a stepladder while a policeman held up the traffic, the band walked back and forth a few times and that was that." He took only seven or eight pictures, now in the Apple archive, but they're fascinating for their difference from the end product we all know. Conspiracy theories Most striking is the one of the band walking in the opposite direction (right to left), caught mid-stride in different poses. It looks all wrong of course, and draws attention to the accidental symmetry - despite Paul being out of step - of the final cover shot with its pattern of four firm inverted V shapes. In one of the alternative takes Paul McCartney is wearing sandals he kicked off during the shoot.

This matters if you remember how the album cover was taken as evidence for the conspiracy theories that "Paul is Dead." Conspiracy theories abounded following Paul's barefoot appearance on the cover Barefooted, out of step, the car number plate behind him referring to his age - 28 if he'd lived - the Beatles forming a funeral procession for him. George was cast as the gravedigger, Ringo the undertaker, and John the priest. Years later in 1993, the very much alive Paul McCartney would spoof the cover and the rumours for his "Paul is Live" concert album. A lesser noted curiosity is that the album cover has no writing on it and is just the picture. That is thanks to John Kosh, who at the time, was creative director at Apple. "I insisted we didn't need to write the band's name on the cover," he says. "They were the most famous band in the world after all - EMI said they'd never sell any albums if we didn't say who the band was, but I got my way, and got away with it." Zebra stripes And it is hard to think of an album cover that has been so thoroughly repeated.

Dozens of bands have put stripes on their cover, like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but of course the biggest tribute comes from the thousands of fans and tourists who go to leafy north London every year. I come here all the time and its always been the same... all they're doing is posing on the crossing Ron, taxi driver If you want to check the crossing now, there's a webcam. Watch it for a while and you will see scampering fans snatching at a gap in the traffic to recreate the shoot - much to the annoyance of local drivers. One black taxi cabbie, Ron, who also used to drive a bus down Abbey Road, told the BBC World Service: "I come here all the time and it's always been the same - it really does annoy you. "All they're doing is posing on the crossing. Someone's going to get mown down one of these days, there's no doubt about it." Here's hoping Ron avoids the crossing on Saturday morning when Beatles fans will stage a mass crossing in honour of the photo shoot. It is not known how many of those fans are injured on the crossing every year.

But the council have to repaint the wall next to the crossing every three months to cover over fans' graffiti. And the Abbey Road street sign has now been mounted out of reach up a wall, so often has it been defaced or stolen. If there was a way to steal the stripes off the zebra you can bet Beatles fans would have taken them too. Or maybe they haven't thanks to the rumour that the famous crossing you now see isn't actually the original and has been moved for safety reasons. And who would want to steal the wrong zebra crossing? Bookmark with: Beatles Coffee Shop in London near Abbey Road NW8 Celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Beatles Crossing Abbey Road. August 8th 2009 was the 40th Anniversary of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road for the famous album cover. We celebrated the day by organsing a mass crossing of Abbey Road at 11.35am - 40 years to the minute since the Beatles! The event received media coverage all over world.

To read our account of the day's events click here The Abbey Road Crossing On 8th August 1969, at 11.35am, four men walked across a zebra crossing in St John's Wood. Hardly an earth-shattering event, but since then millions of people have come to the very same crossing to imitate those four men. Of course the four men in questions were The Beatles, and the crossing is in Abbey Road. The 'Fab Four' were posing for the photo that was to be used on their last album to recorded. Abbey Road has never been the same since. Every day, fans from around the world come to the crossing to walk in the footsteps of their heroes and to see the studios where they recorded most of their songs. The Beatles had been coming to Abbey Road for many years to record at the EMI Studios. Their die-hard fans often visited the studios in the hope of catching a glimpse of them coming or going. In fact a select few even camped in the car park to see their heroes come out after a late night recording session. However it wasn't until after The Beatles named their album after the street it is was recorded in that it became world famous and a shrine for fans.

In fact things could have been very different. Originally the LP was going to be called 'Everest' - after the favourite brand of cigarettes smoked by Geoff Emerick, The Beatles' recording engineer. Someone had the bright idea that The Beatles should go to the mountain of the same name to shoot the album cover! The Beatles reaction to that idea can't be repeated here without offense! Finally it was decided to call the album Abbey Road. Incidentally the album was NOT named after the studio, but the road where the studio is situated. The studio was then called EMI and didn't change its' name until after the album came out. The famous pose of The Beatles on the Abbey Road crossing endures as one of the most famous LP covers of all time, and one of the easiest for fans to replicate. The idea for the picture was probably Paul McCartney's. A sketch drawn by Paul showing how the picture should look still exists. The photographer hired was Iain MacMillan, a long time friend of John and Yoko. MacMillan had known Yoko before she met John and it is quite possible that John's first site of Yoko might have been on one of MacMillan's photos.

His photos illustrated the catalogue for Yoko's exhibition 'Unfinished Paintings and Objects', at which the couple first met. Abbey Road Studios and the famous crossing For the photo shoot, The Beatles congregated by the crossing at around 11.35am. This was an early start for them as normally recording sessions didn't start until around 2pm. This was done deliberately to ensure fans would not interrupt the photo session. The day was gloriously sunny and Iain MacMillan stood on a step ladder in the middle of the road to get the required angle. The Beatles were asked to cross the road in procession while MacMillan attempted to get the best shot. In the end six photographs were taken, and the whole session only took about 10 minutes. Shot one shows them walking from left to right, with a Mercedes car coming out of the car park of the studios. Shot two has them walking the other way across, towards the studios. In both shots Paul has his head bowed and is seemingly preoccupied with his feet. By shot three Paul has removed the open topped sandals he was wearing and is now barefoot - an historic decision!

Shot three was probably the best so far, but has traffic too near to the crossing to be perfect. Shot four again shows them going from right to left. Like shot two, The Beatles don't seem to be concentrating on getting the right pose. Maybe they already had it in mind that the shot would look better going the other way across. Shot five was the best by far and the one used on the album cover. Another shot was taken but this was far inferior. After the session on the crossing Iain MacMillan got in a car with Anthony Fawcett, John and Yoko's assistant, to find a suitable road sign for the back cover. They found one on the junction of Abbey Road and Alexandra Road. As MacMillan was about to take a photograph of the sign a girl in a blue dress walked through the shot. Fawcett remembers that Iain MacMillan was angry the girl had got in the way - but other accounts said it was planned. Unfortunately the Abbey Road sign no longer exists. This part of Abbey Road was redeveloped in the 1970s and the wall and sign demolished.

The Story of Abbey Road Studios book - showing an out-take from the famous photo session A rare magazine about the Paul is Dead rumour The session on the crossing only lasted about 10 minutes - leaving The Beatles over three hours to kill before they were due to start recording. According to Mal Evans, in his personal diaries, Paul. John and Ringo went to Paul's nearby home to relax while George and Mal went to "Regents Park Zoo to meditate in the sun. To Krishna Temple for lunch and studio for 3pm". Since the famous Abbey Road picture was taken several million people have crossed the street to imitate their heroes. In 2005 Abbey Road Studios estimated 150,000 come to Abbey Road every year. Just after the album came out, the Abbey Road cover became the central part in a bizarre rumour and conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney was dead! It is hard to pinpoint where the rumour started, but it seemed to begin almost simultaneously in different universities in America. Word went around that Paul had died in a car accident in 1966 and that The Beatles had replaced him with an imposter, to ensure their fame wasn't affected.

However, The Beatles felt guilty about doing this so put 'clues' on various album covers and songs to tell the truth. Many of these clues can be found on the Abbey Road album cover. The picture is supposed to be of Paul's funeral procession, with George Harrison dressed as the gravedigger, Ringo Starr the undertaker, and John Lennon the preacher. Paul McCartney is supposedly wearing and old suit, and is barefoot - how bodies are buried! Paul is holding his cigarette in his right hand - fans pointed out the 'real' Paul McCartney is left handed, so the man in the picture isn't Paul, but an imposter. Some even named the imposter as 'William Campbell', who had won a Paul lookalike competition. Paul is also out of step with the others, drawing attention to himself. By the side of the crossing is a white Volkeswagen car. The first part of the car's license plate is LMW - this is supposed to stand for 'Linda McCartney - widowed.' The second part is 281F - this is supposed to signify that Paul McCartney would have been 28 years old - IF he was still alive!

Actually, he was 27 in 1969. There are even clues on the back cover. The 'Beatles' sign has a crack through it - to show that the band are no longer complete. Also the sun has shone though the shadows to create a shape that is supposed to resemble Paul McCartney's skull! Rumours of Paul McCartney's demise spread like wildfire, especially when Russ Gibb, a DJ on a radio station WKNR in Detroit, received a telephone call from a student telling him to look for clues. From there the whole thing became an international pastime. The Beatles' offices received many calls from distraught fans wanting to know the truth. The rumour only started dying down when a reporter from Life magazine went up to Scotland, where Paul was staying, to obtain an interview to prove that Paul was still alive. Since 1969 the rumour has refused to go away. There have been many books and TV shows on the subject. Paul himself lampooned the rumour on his 1993 album 'Paul is Live'. He returned to the Abbey Road crossing with Iain MacMillan to pose with his old English sheepdog, Arrow.

For the cover Paul is superimposed on an original Abbey Road picture - with The Beatles taken out. However the VW license plate has been changed, to 51 IS Paul's age when the Paul is Live picture was taken. Fans Crossing Abbey Road 25 year to the minute since The Beatles The Paul is Live album cover Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios opened on November 12th 1931 when Sir Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, playing Elgar's own composition, Land of Hope and Glory. Since then countless musical stars have passed through the studio's doors. An early regular visitor to the studios was Sir Thomas Beecham, who lived just around the corner from Abbey Road in Grove End Road. Other early visitors included Fred Astaire, Paul Robeson, Noel Coward and Glenn Miller, who made his last ever recording at Abbey Road in 1944. During the early days the studios official title was EMI Studios, in fact it didn't change it's name until AFTER The Beatles album of the same name came out. The Beatles first visited Abbey Road on June 6th 1962 for their audition with George Martin.

After playing him many songs George Martin gave The Beatles a long lecture on recording techniques. When he finished he said to them, "Ok, I've had my say, now you tell me if there is anything you don't like." After a short pause, George Harrison commented, "Well, for a start, I don't like your tie!" Fortunately, for George Harrison, George Martin was known for his sense of humour and The Beatles passed their audition. However, George Martin was not happy with The Beatles drummer Pete Best, and decided he would use a session drummer on their future recordings. The Beatles themselves were getting fed up of Pete too and George Martin's comments about his competency was a factor in his subsequent sacking and being replaced by Ringo Starr, who joined The Beatles in time to participate in the recording of their first single, Love Me Do, on September 4th 1962. Although Ringo drummed on that session, George Martin wasn't convinced of this talents, and when The Beatles returned to Abbey Road a week later, a session drummer called Andy White was asked to play drums while Ringo banged on a tambourine.

However it didn't take long for Ringo to convince George Martin he was up to recording and no other session drummers were used on Beatles records. The Beatles first album, Please Please Me was recorded on February 11th 1963 - in one day! Recording techniques were very basic in those days, but even for 1963 doing an album in such a quick time was very unusual. Although it only took one day to record, Please Please Me was top of the album charts for 30 weeks, only to be toppled by The Beatles second album, With The Beatles, that was number one for a further 52 weeks. In their early days The Beatles fitted in recording sessions between concert tours. However, all that changed when The Beatles gave up touring. The landmark Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album took over four months to record. They could spend as long in the studio as they liked. The Fabs also changed working practices at EMI. Before then recording sessions had set times but The Beatles liked recording at night time and the Studios had to adapt to meet their needs.

A very famous recording session took place on June 25th 1967, when The Beatles recorded All You Need is Love. The session was seen live on a global satellite TV show called Our World. It is estimated that 400 million people saw this historic broadcast. The last Beatles song to be recorded at Abbey Road was I Me Mine, in January 1970. However since then many Beatles projects have been carried out at the studios, Including the Beatles Anthology DVDs and CDs, The Live at the BBC album, and more recently the soundtrack to the Circque Du Soliel show Love. Abbey Road Studios remains as one of the most advanced and most used in the country. During the last 25 years the Studios have recorded scores of soundtracks of major films, including Star Wars, The Indiana Jones films, Lord of the Rings and many others. George Martin and Geoff Emerick on the steps of Abbey Road Studios Beatles Coffee Shop owner Richard Porter with George Martin inside Studio Two at Abbey Road Pop and Rock music is still recorded at the studio too. The 1970s were dominated by Pink Floyd, who recorded their huge hit album Dark Side of the Moon there.

In the 1990s Radiohead did work on several albums. Please remember that Abbey Road Studios is a commercial facility and there is no public access to the building. Beatles and Bystanders – The Abbey Road sessions – Snap Galleries Limited Beatles and Bystanders – The Abbey Road sessions snapgalleries 2016-10-12T16:12:45+00:00 Project Description 8 August, 1969. A Friday. The date of one of the most famous photo-shoots in rock ‘n’ roll history. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr walk over the zebra crossing next to Abbey Road studios. There and back. Three times. Six clicks of the shutter. Just six photographs, and the shoot was over. Three frames showing the Beatles crossing from left to right, and three walking from right to left. The same order in each of the six frames – John Lennon first in white, then Ringo Starr in black, Paul McCartney in grey, barefoot, holding a cigarette in his right hand (all three in Tommy Nutter suits) and at the back, a denim clad George Harrison.

The fifth frame of six, showing a left to right traverse, was chosen as the actual cover. Abbey Road (the first British Beatles LP without the name of the band or the title of the album on the front) was released in the UK on 26 September 1969 and debuted at number 1. Rolling Stone magazine voted it number 14 of the top 500 albums of all time. The photographer – Iain MacMillan. The man behind the camera that hot August day was Scottish photographer Iain MacMillan. He had worked with Yoko Ono in 1966: he included a photograph of her in “The Book of London”, a collection of his photographs published that year. She then commissioned Iain to document her exhibition at London’s Indica gallery, and as a result, Iain was introduced to John Lennon – establishing the Beatles connection. Subsequently, John Lennon invited Iain to photograph the Abbey Road cover. Paul McCartney had already developed the initial concept of the shoot, and in a meeting with Iain, they discussed Paul’s early sketches. On the appointed Friday, Iain only had a short time to nail it.

He spent less than 15 minutes up a ladder, and they had to give way to traffic too. Because of time constraints, the shoot had been very carefully planned. Iain knew exactly what he was trying to achieve. We can see this from his hand drawn sketch of the intended result, included on the front of the exhibition catalogue: the Beatles in step, the vanishing point in the centre of the image, the viewer’s eyes drawn in by the converging lines of pavements and trees. Rare photographs for sale. During his lifetime, Iain MacMillan produced and signed a number of colour prints of the session photographs, made to the highest archival standards from the original transparencies. Iain passed away on 8 May 2006 and signed examples of his work, made during his lifetime, are finite and very scarce. As such they are highly prized amongst Beatles collectors. Individual examples of each of the photographs come on the secondary market from time to time, and, occasionally the holy grail – a complete suite of front cover variants and the back cover photograph becomes available. We will be exhibiting a suite of Abbey Road session alternates at the gallery.

This suite is extremely rare and is only being offered for sale as a complete set of six photographs (five front cover variants plus the back cover). In addition, we also have a small selection of signed and numbered limited edition photographs of individual session images, and we will also be displaying the front cover image. These photographs are in extremely short supply, and are only available while stocks last. The prices of these iconic images reflect their importance in the photographic history of The Beatles. At the gallery during the exhibition we will also be showing the complete range of Beatles books from Genesis Publications, the Abbey Road LP in Art Vinyl’s patented Play & Display frames plus the Beatles Box of Vision book and storage system. The Beetle, Paul Cole, three decorators… The Abbey Road cover photograph is of course one of the most recognisable rock ‘n’ roll photographs of all time. The Beatles are the main event, rightly taking centre stage. They are not alone though. Other peripheral characters appear stage right and stage left on the actual album cover, and get their own fifteen minutes of fame. The man standing on the right pavement watching proceedings is American tourist Paul Cole. If you look at your Abbey Road LP or CD you’ll see him, just to the left of John Lennon’s head.

On the left pavement, further back, stand three decorators, subsequently identified as Alan Flanagan, Steve Millwood and Derek Seagrove. They were all captured for posterity on the cover photograph. It wasn’t just human bystanders that became famous through an appearance on the album cover. Let’s not forget the fifth Beatle. Well, Beetle. The white Volkswagen Beetle, LMW 281F, parked up on the left achieved cult status after appearing on the album, and after selling at auction, was displayed at the Volkswagen museum in Germany. The cover shot has been discussed and analysed in depth over the years, even to advance theories of the death of Paul McCartney. But what of the five other front cover session photographs taken that day: the three right to left and two left to right passes that weren’t used? They have been reproduced sparingly in publications over the years, but the opportunity to view them together on a wall in a gallery setting allows careful study of the contrasts and comparisons between them. How do we actually know the order that the photographs were taken? Simply because Iain MacMillan made a set of prints showing individual frame numbers alongside the images. At first glance, there are some interesting differences.

Although Paul McCartney was famously barefoot on the cover, he actually appears in sandals in the first two of the six frames. He only appears with his cigarette in one frame – the actual cover. Interestingly the second Paul, Paul Cole, very nearly didn’t make it onto the cover. In the frame immediately preceding the cover image, and the frame straight after, he simply isn’t there. The other bystanders… While researching this exhibition, we have taken the opportunity to dig a little deeper. Gallery owner Guy White explains: “Iain MacMillan’s Abbey Road session images are the holy grail for collectors of rare Beatles photographs, and the opportunity to present a complete set has given us the chance to put the individual images under the microscope. We’ve subjected them to some really rigorous analysis and delved into the dark spaces and shadows for the first time. This has revealed a whole cast of unknown characters (unknown for now at least) who could have found themselves in the same position as Paul Cole – on the cover of the Beatles’ Abbey Road LP.” “One of my favourites is a mysterious lady in a purple top who appears deep in the shadows on three of the frames, for example. Who was she?

She probably doesn’t even know that she was there that day – but someone will know who she is. During our research, we have discovered a dozen other bystanders, just like her. In frame 3, a black delivery van pulls in behind the iconic white Beetle. The van only appears in one frame, then its gone. Look very closely and you can see the left arm of the delivery driver as he stands at the back of the van. It’s fascinating to me to think that if a different frame had been chosen as the cover, some of these other characters might have been on the album sleeve. It’s also interesting to have a set of photographs with the actual frame numbers visible, so we can establish with absolute certainty the order of the images.” At least a dozen people. Who were they? We reveal their faces for the first time. They have never been studied in any depth before now, and none of them have been formally identified. For now at least, their identities remain a mystery. This is the start of their story. All these photographs repay careful study. Come and see them close up, in the flesh, at the gallery.

Abbey Road: The Complete Sessions – Snap Galleries Limited Abbey Road: The Complete Sessions snapgalleries 2016-11-22T16:00:21+00:00 Project Description A rare opportunity to see the complete collection of Abbey Road session photographs, taken by Iain Macmillan in August 1969 Abbey Road: The complete sessions: Rare photographs by Iain MacMillan 8 August, 1969. A Friday. The date of one of the most famous photo-shoots in rock ‘n’ roll history. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr walk over the zebra crossing next to Abbey Road studios. There and back. Three times. Six clicks of the shutter. Just six photographs, and the shoot was over. Three frames showing the Beatles crossing from left to right, and three walking from right to left. The same order in each of the six frames – John Lennon first in white, then Ringo Starr in black, Paul McCartney in grey, barefoot, holding a cigarette in his right hand (all three in Tommy Nutter suits) and at the back, a denim clad George Harrison.

The fifth frame of six, showing a left to right traverse, was chosen as the actual cover. Abbey Road (the first British Beatles LP without the name of the band or the title of the album on the front) was released in the UK on 26 September 1969 and debuted at number 1. Rolling Stone magazine voted it number 14 of the top 500 albums of all time. The photographer – Iain MacMillan The man behind the camera that hot August day was Scottish photographer Iain MacMillan. He had worked with Yoko Ono in 1966: he included a photograph of her in “The Book of London”, a collection of his photographs published that year. She then commissioned Iain to document her exhibition at London’s Indica gallery, and as a result, Iain was introduced to John Lennon – establishing the Beatles connection. Subsequently, John Lennon invited Iain to photograph the Abbey Road cover. Paul McCartney had already developed the initial concept of the shoot, and in a meeting with Iain, they discussed Paul’s early sketches. On the appointed Friday, Iain only had a short time to nail it.

He spent less than 15 minutes up a ladder, and they had to give way to traffic too. Because of time constraints, the shoot had been very carefully planned. Iain knew exactly what he was trying to achieve. His hand drawn sketch of the intended result shows the Beatles in step, the vanishing point in the centre of the image, the viewer’s eyes drawn in by the converging lines of pavements and trees. Rare photographs for sale During his lifetime, Iain MacMillan produced and signed a number of colour prints of the session photographs, made to the highest archival standards from the original transparencies. Iain passed away on 8 May 2006 and signed examples of his work, made during his lifetime, are finite and very scarce. As such they are highly prized amongst Beatles collectors. Individual examples of each of the photographs come on the secondary market from time to time, and, occasionally the holy grail – a complete suite of front cover variants and the back cover photograph becomes available. The prices of these iconic images reflect their importance in the photographic history of The Beatles.

And while a full suite of seven images sold at auction in London in 2014 for £180,000, our set is for sale at a significant discount to the recent auction price. Frame 1

Question: Which Scottish photographer took the famous 1969 photo of The Beatles on a zebra crossing on Abbey Road?
Answer: Iain MacMillan